YouTube has removed trend pages and removed trend Now lists in favor of category-specific charts, the company announced Thursday. With this change, YouTube now displays the most popular content in a specific category on the YouTube chart from a single comprehensive list of trending content.
According to the platform, the update is better tailored to the way today's trending content was discovered, noting that when the trending page was launched in 2015, it was much easier to capture viral videos that everyone was talking about on a singular list.
The new category-specific charts include trend music videos, weekly top podcast shows, and trending movie trailers. YouTube plans to add more content categories in the future.
“In addition to highlighting popular content on the charts, we will continue to show viewers videos they think they like through personalized recommendations,” he explained in a blog post. “This way, you can make a wide range of relevant and popular content appear, and it feels more natural than the way viewers are already finding new videos.”
Viewers can view unpersonalized content via the Explore menu, creator channel, and subscription feed.
YouTube says that trends are making a difference as they are shaped by a variety of videos created by diverse fandoms, leading to more microtrends than ever before.
Additionally, YouTube points out that viewers are finding trends through various locations on the platform, including recommendations, searches, and comments. In the past, people discovered trending content to watch through trends, but now they provide content via personalized algorithm recommendations. These shifts have led to a decline in visits to trending pages, particularly over the past five years, says YouTube.
It makes sense for the company to adapt to evolving audience habits, especially as the platform has changed considerably over the past decade. In 2015, YouTube was primarily considered a place for amateur videos. Today, it is home to professional long-form (and short-form) content from independent creators and established media outlets, all competing for shares of advertising revenue.
The company says it remains focused on providing creators' tools to determine what's popular with the audience.
“The YouTube Studio Inspiration tab will help creators to provide personalized ideas and help them find the next big thing on their channel,” YouTube wrote in a blog post. “We are also creating new ways to give up creators upwards, like the “hype” feature that allows viewers to amplify fresh videos they love, creating new ways to help them be discovered. ”
YouTube also screams creators on its official @youtube social media and YouTube channel.
The changes announced Thursday will take effect in the coming weeks.